Crypto Market Tumbles Amid Bitcoin Halving and Ethereum ETF Approval Concerns

The cryptocurrency market opened with a dismal trend on Friday, with prominent coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana experiencing a decline in morning trades. This volatility is speculated to be in anticipation of the upcoming Bitcoin halving, as traders weigh the potential impact on pricing. The price of Bitcoin has dropped over 4% in the last 24 hours, cooling off after setting several all-time highs recently.

Cryptocurrency Market Stumbles as Bitcoin Halving Looms

The cryptocurrency market opened in the red on Friday, indicating potential volatility ahead of the upcoming Bitcoin halving. Several major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL), experienced declines in early morning trading.

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, witnessed a drop of over 4% in the past 24 hours, trading at approximately $63,400, according to CoinGecko. The asset's price has been fluctuating after reaching several all-time highs in recent weeks. Traders are closely monitoring the market in anticipation of the Bitcoin halving, an event that will reduce the number of new bitcoins entering circulation. The halving could potentially influence the price of bitcoin, either driving a surge or leading to a dip.

AllianceBernstein, a global financial investment firm, predicted on Thursday that Bitcoin could reach $90,000 by the end of 2024. The bullish sentiment in the market is also being fueled by increased activity around Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that were approved earlier this year.

"ETFs now represent $4 to $5 billion in average daily BTC spot market volume," said John O'Loghlen, Coinbase Asia-Pacific Managing Director, in a statement to Decrypt. "So [ETFs] are 15 to 20% of the total across the centralized exchanges globally."

Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency, has also taken a hit, falling nearly 6% in the past 24 hours, trading at approximately $3,320. While traders await the decision of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on whether to approve spot Ethereum ETFs, investment firms such as BlackRock and Grayscale have filed applications with the regulatory body.

However, enthusiasm for an Ethereum ETF has been dampened by concerns that the SEC could deem ETH a security. The Ethereum Foundation recently disclosed that it is being investigated by an unnamed "state authority." Fortune reported that the SEC is reportedly investigating the foundation.

"On any one of these crypto tokens, it's going to be the facts and circumstances as to whether the investing public is anticipating profits based on the efforts of others," SEC Chair Gary Gensler told Bloomberg Television earlier this month. "We do have filings in front of us. I'm not going to comment."

Solana, which has been gaining attention due to a surge in meme coin trading activity, has experienced a steeper decline, plunging 8% in the past 24 hours and currently trading at around $171. Just days earlier, SOL had surpassed the $200 mark for the first time in over two months.

The Solana network has been facing congestion issues in recent weeks due to the surge in meme coin demand. However, the network could experience some relief as the frenzy cools off, at least for the time being. Notably, key Solana meme coin prices have been declining, with BONK falling 9%, Dogwifhat (WIF) dipping by 6%, and Slerf (SLERF) plunging by nearly 25%.

The cryptocurrency market remains uncertain as it navigates the upcoming Bitcoin halving and regulatory uncertainties surrounding Ethereum. Investors are urged to proceed with caution and conduct thorough research before making any trading decisions.